


Free Drinks and Bad Advice

by MusicPlayer81



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-12
Updated: 2019-08-12
Packaged: 2020-08-20 02:01:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20219947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MusicPlayer81/pseuds/MusicPlayer81
Summary: Lin has been put in an awkward situation, and Pema did say she'd always help...





	Free Drinks and Bad Advice

**Author's Note:**

  * For [braigwen_s](https://archiveofourown.org/users/braigwen_s/gifts).

The sheets of rain should have driven everyone indoors and away from Air Temple Island. Not Lin, apparently.

“You know how you told me, after everything with discovering Chen, that you were always available to lend an ear or a hand?”

Pema didn’t need to hear the rest. “You’re going to rust if you don’t get inside. Come on in, I’ll get you some blankets.”

* * *

Ten minutes in found Lin and Pema huddled in front of the fire with their drinks. Pema politely took a sip of her hot toddy as she waited for the reticent chief to speak.

“I have the Fire Nation representative coming in to see me on Monday to discuss some security policy changes. He changed our lunch reservation.”

“Oh? Is it to a restaurant you don’t like?”

“I wish. He changed it to Kwong’s.” Lin took a long draught of her firewhiskey. “He changed it to a dinner reservation at Kwong’s.”

“Is that--is that not a good thing? It would give you more time to iron out details.”

Lin snorted. “Something tells me he won’t be discussing policy tweaks over the candlelit dinners at Kwong’s Cuisine.”

“ _ Oh. _ ”

“Oh indeed.”

“I don’t--hmm,” Pema said, staring into her drink. This certainly couldn’t be good for international relations.

“I mean, Jae-hyun is nice enough,” Lin continued, the words starting to pour out. “Spirits, in another time, I’d probably be excited about this development. Because I’ve known Jae-hyun for a while, and he truly is a nice guy. Courteous, respectful, and actually has more than two brain cells. Kind of handsome too, in that firebender sort of way. But I have Chen, and Kya, and I don’t want to--”

Pema almost spit out her drink. “What about Kya?”

Lin reddened immediately and chugged her drink.

Pema raised an eyebrow. “Chugging your drink is not going to get you out of answering, Lin. What about Kya has you so hesitant about this dinner date?”

“She asked me out to dinner,” Lin said, blushing. “Me, as in, expressly  _ without  _ Chen. And when I said yes, she—I—we—“

“Kissed?”

The chief nodded. “Yeah.”

“So this can't be making this dinner reservation any easier.”

“No. Which is why I came to see you, actually.” Lin poured herself a single of whiskey. “What do I do?”

The head acolyte blinked. “I—what?”

“Pema, I’ve only ever dated one man in my life, and during that time everyone knew better than to try hitting on me. So having to figure out how to turn down someone because I’m newly dating my ex’s sister is uncharted territory.”

“You never dated anyone after? At least, up until now?”

“And have them find out about Chen? Absolutely not.” Lin looked expectantly at Pema. “So do you have any ideas?”

“Well, I—hmm. I’m not well versed in this area either.”

“I know it’s been a while since you married Tenzin, but there has to be  _ something,  _ Pema, from before then.”

“You see, that’s the thing, Lin. I’ve only ever dated Tenzin...which happened when you two, well—well, I think we all know what happened there.”

Lin groaned. “This is not helpful, Pema.”

“Hey, just because I offered advice doesn’t necessarily mean it’s good advice. In this case, it’s horrible advice.”

“No kidding.” The chief snorted and looked at Pema. “We’ve only ever dated Tenzin? What a pair we make.”

Pema smiled into her glass. “I don’t think we could make this up even if we tried.”

“No, we couldn’t.”

The two finished their glasses in peaceful silence, the rain drumming ceaselessly against the windowpanes. 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> The character Lin mentions, Chen, is an OC of mine--she happens to be Lin's daughter with Tenzin. If you're interested in learning more about her, check out "Guess I'm Going with You," "Reveals," and "Revelations!"


End file.
